Forest Conservation

The National Forests of the Sierra Nevada are managed through the creation, approval and implementation of forest plans and the projects designed to fulfill the objectives of those plans. To ensure that the proposed management of our national forests does not violate environmental laws, ignore the latest scientific research, or threaten their ecological integrity and biological health, or run counter to the will of the public, we maintain an active forest monitoring program which follows all new forest plans, regional planning proposals, and local projects from start to finish and plays an active role in secure long-lasting protections for the forests of the Sierra Nevada.

The manner in which specific local projects and general forest plans come are rooted in the creation of laws of regulations on Capitol Hill. The laws written in Washington D.C. lead directly to the regulations that govern our public lands and the policies and plans which are formulated to implement these laws. The interpretation and implementation of these laws and regulations has frequently led to conflicts among opposing stakeholders. Our policy and legal experts monitor the formation of new laws and regulations that affect our SN forests, and work diligently to oppose any attempts to circumvent or revise existing laws that could result in policies that threaten the long-term protection and restoration of Sierra Nevada forests.

Wildlife species throughout the Sierra Nevada are at risk due to the degradation and alteration of their habitat. Some of the habitats most imperiled in the Sierra Nevada are utilized by many of the endangered, threatened, and sensitive species wildlife species found throughout the range. Close to seventy-five species have these labels placed upon them due to the precarious nature of their existence. In order to protect and restore the habitat vital to these and other species that call the forests of the Sierra Nevada home, a rigorous defense of their habitat and biological needs is necessary and is advanced daily by our conservation team.

Sierra Nevada forests have depended on fire to sustain their ecological health and integrity since forests first grew in the Range of Light. We believe that science provides the best determination of what role fire will continue to play in the management of our forests. The future of our forests and communities depend on management decisions that protect and restore resources and which ensure that our forests continue to provide the clean water, clear air and wildlife habitat that we all value.